


Gold.

by SadClownGorl



Category: Rumpelstilzchen | Rumpelstiltskin (Fairy Tale)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Angst, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fractured Fairy Tale, Points of View, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 21:23:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19304101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadClownGorl/pseuds/SadClownGorl
Summary: My dream that night seems too real to believe, the girl sits on the wheel, gold surrounds her on the floor. A gold string clenched around her fingers and neck, it maneuvered her fingers to touch the twisting straw. Each thin straw wraps around her body tightly and makes her gasp for breath. What looks to be golden tears were seeping from her eyes. I can only watch in silence as she twists in the straw.





	1. King Viktor

**Author's Note:**

> Another English assignment but im like super proud of this.

Gold. Gold. Gold. Worth more than an ordinary human can dream. I wear it on my head every hour of the day. When it doesn’t hang loosely on my head, my crown falls over my eyes, often. The burden of the gold’s weight slows me but the sight of the lower classes pleading eyes makes me raise my head higher. My throne stands higher than any man or beast, blinding them from even glancing at me. I, King Viktor, the highest of kings! I dare to test the heavens above and step on the demons of Hell. I, King Viktor rise above all and rule a golden land! 

One day, a poor man, wearing ragged clothes covered in grain and dirt entered the hall. With every footfall of his torn cloth sandals spread dirt upon the floor. His head was low as he was led towards me by my silver-encrusted knights. The knight’s spears collide with the ground and shook the man. His head rose quickly to look at me, his dark eyes squinting as he caught sight of me. 

I rose my jewel-encrusted hand signaling for the peasant to speak. 

“Your name, serf?” my voice echoes the barren palace hall. 

The man speaks, his voice trembling and cracking as I knew it would. All peasants are in awe of me. 

“I am the miller, my liege”

“State your business, miller” 

“My only child... my daughter. She can spin straw into gold with just her fingertips and a simple spinning wheel. She is a beautiful girl, a quiet one too never complains and is able to sew and cook too!” 

I raise my lip, I grow irritated by this man offering his daughter to me. In irritation from this obscene gesture, I raise a steel-booted foot and slam it to the ground. The startled man falls down into a bowing position. My chuckle seems to send a shiver down his spine. 

“Please, my dear King, I am just a poor miller. My grain is dry and my cattle are dying one by one. No one in the village believes that my daughter can turn straw into gold; they doubt us. Please, King, believe in my daughter.” 

I look at this pest of a man, irritatedly glaring down at him. He came to me just to tell me a fable about a worthless wench he raised. My palm scrapes against my dark beard. My Jester jingles next to me and a knight at the entrance huffs, leaning onto his spear. This man and his daughter will keep me entertained, even if its a waste of my time. It’ll be a delightful story to tell to my court. So I continue with the Miller. 

“Dear Miller. The art of spinning straw into gold is unheard of, it’s unnatural, to say the least. But it pleases me that you’re brave enough to face me. So if your daughter is as magical as you claim, then bring her to my palace to-morrow. I will put her to the test...but dear Miller, if she fails to turn straw to gold. Then you and your little wench of a daughter will be burned and hanged. For witchcraft and for lying to your King.” 

The man raises his head, his dark eyes suddenly fill with joy. He shows his rotting teeth in a smile towards me, my sparkling knights take the peasant away. Leaving me in my throne room to think of what the future holds.


	2. The first night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kings dream keeps the girl on his mind.

The night passed quickly and as the sun shined over my kingdom, the palace doors opened to reveal the same grimy man from yesterday. A girl stood behind him, her head low and her long dingy blonde hair covered her bronze face. The two were brought towards me, the miller tracking more dirt onto the soft rug while his daughter walked barefoot. 

“Dear Miller is this your daughter that you claim to be able to turn straw into gold with just her fingertips?” 

The miller nodded as his daughter bowed to me. Swiftly I stood from my throne and stood in front of the bowing girl. 

“Rise, miller’s daughter.” 

The girl slowly rose and looked up at me, her eyes met mine. Her eyes reflect her father’s, a dirty tired brown. I huff and cross my arms, although her eyes were modeled after mud pigs roll in. Her face mirrors an angel; a small nose, thin brows, plush lips, and a slim face. Her figure was tempting, slim from famine but strong from helping her father in the field. 

‘Strong enough to bear a child for a king’ I smirk from the thought. 

“Miller, stay here.” I put my hand out for the girl to hold. Slowly she grabs my hand and I notice the difference in our hands, my hand dwarfed over hers and I felt her grim coat my palm. I cringe from the dirt and lead her to a chamber filled with straw that was surrounding a single spinning wheel. 

“This is your chamber of work and rest, you are to have spun all of this straw into gold during the night. If by the morning of morrow I come to see no gold, you and your father will be executed.” My voice bounces off the stone walls and made the girl tremble. I left the chamber and lock it behind me, I frown from hearing the girl start to sob. 

The night crawled by and the longer I stare at my large canopy above my bed, does the girl's sobs start to echo in my ears. Until her sobs were cut short, I was able to finally drift into a peaceful sleep. 

My dream that night seems too real to believe, the girl sits on the wheel, gold surrounds her on the floor. A gold string clenched around her fingers and neck, it maneuvered her fingers to touch the twisting straw. Each thin straw wraps around her body tightly and makes her gasp for breath. What looks to be golden tears were seeping from her eyes. I can only watch in silence as she twists in the straw. 

The shining sun woke me from my nightmare and a knock accompanies the sun. A servant creaks the door open and speaks. 

“My sire. The girl is ready for you in her chamber.” 

I rose from my bedding and let my servants dress me in the most elegant garb. Leaving my chamber, my footsteps echo the lengthy hall and with my passing each torch dances. A wooden door was the only thing separating me and the girl, I raise my brow and peak through the bars that contain her. With a scrape, the door opens to reveal the girl lying on a pile of thin gold. 

Quickly the girl rose, looking down at the straw in shock. She too seemed surprised at the thin gold that she laid upon. 

"You've done it." I hum with a smirk. The girl let out a shuddering breath and her chest falls in relief and I notice that the necklace she wore yesterday was no longer there. I shrug the thought off and instead direct my attention to the pile of gold she settled on. 

I've seen plentiful amounts of gold to know just by sight when something is real gold. The thin strings glimmer in the light and I grasp it. The gold wraps around my knuckles and arm, and with a loud laugh that echoes the chamber, I stand. 

"Servants. Collect the gold and take it to my chamber." 

My servants were quick to gather the gold and leave the chamber. I could hear them bicker about the gold being real or not from down the hall. 

"Again!" I cheer and grab the girls hands, she shakes in my tight hold. 

"You will make me more gold dear, girl! Enough to cover the kingdom!" The girl gasps from my words, and I snap my fingers. My servants appear from my fingertips. 

"Bring more straw into this chamber. She will be staying another night to spin me more gold." I wave my hand and the two servants. They were quick to find more straw and make more piles in the stone chamber. 

With a large smile, I release the girl from my grip. She gasps for air and stares at the hills of straw. 

"But my king! I thought my father and you only agreed to me staying for only one moon?" The girl looked up at me, her eyes started to water and her hands gripped her arms tightly. 

“That part of the deal is forgettable, you must stay another moon to prove to me. Your king, that you can spin hills of straw to gold in just a night.” I turned away from the girl, my coat swayed behind me and dragged fallen gold with it. 

“For now. Let my maids clean you, afterward you may dine with me.” The girl followed behind me, but once we stood in front of the maid’s quarters they quickly caught her and cleaned her of grime and grease. 

Hours passed and the sun was starting to fall, I stood in front of a towering window, letting the light shine onto me. Looking down I observed the villagers, children were herding chickens and goats and adults were trading goods. A creak from the dining room entrance caught my attention and I turned towards it. Wiping the sun from my eyes I blinked the remaining light from them. After regaining my sight, I was paralyzed by the sight of a sparkling woman standing in the entrance. 

The woman bowed, her blonde ringlets fell with her and she held her white gown. It hugged her figure around the waist but when reaching the ground it grew loose and laid on the ground. Gold decorated her neck and wrist, a small cape sat on her back and she when she rose she pushed the cape away. 

Maids entered from behind her and mirrored her movement. 

“My king! Miss Fabia Muller.” The head maid announced the girl’s name and right after the group rushed out, a few stayed behind the door to peek inside. 

The miller’s daughter, Fabia. She stares at the feast that covers the long table, her mouth agape. I tilt my head and smile at the expression she shows, unexpectedly my crown fell over my eyes. It took her from my sight and when I raised the crown back to its summit, I saw she sat at the peak of the table. With a short laugh, I joined her. 

“Please, Miss Muller. Feast upon this gracious meal the Lord has blessed us.” I raised my goblet and wine threatened to spill. 

Fabia’s thin brow twitched up and she looked at the door, noticing a chef and two maids peeking in through the crack. Once their eyes met hers they gasped and shut the enormous door with a loud slam. Fabia looked back at me as my goblet left my lips. Her eyes seem to be glaring at me and I instantly took note of the shut door. She knows how hard working my chefs and servants are, and seems to be disgusted with me not thanking them as well. 

“And of course my diligent chefs." I muttered defeatedly. 

The hour went slowly and it was filled with silence and the scraping of cutlery on porcelain. Every plate that I cleared was quickly replaced with another that was just as filled as the last. Until my fourth plate did I raise my hand to the oncoming servant. 

“That’ll be all for me tonight. Dear Muller, please if you see fit then continue to feast.” I said and took one last sip of my wine. The girl set her knife down onto the empty plate and she spoke, her voice was soft but still weak from her weeping. 

“I am satiated for tonight, thank you, my king. I deeply appreciate this kindness you have given me.” After wiping her mouth clean she stood, her head turned to the open window. The light from the candles that didn’t reach her face, helped her hide her concern. 

“You’re father is safe.” 

I lied to her and she showed me a small smile in return. My jeweled hand gently gripped her smaller hand, quietly we both drifted towards her chamber. Fabia looked up at me and her hand grew loose and fell from my grip as she entered her chamber. 

Guilt about lying to her started to invade my mind, and in order to avoid the feeling, I slammed the chamber door shut. A gasp from her joined the echo of the door. I barge away from her chamber, the echos follow me to my own chamber


	3. A king to who?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Viktor questions who he truely rules over.

the night passed over me quickly but no dream haunted me that night. So when my day started like the past, I decided to follow the dreadful thought of where my dreams have gone to without me. So in my night-wear, I started for the place where my dreams started. The locked door stands in front of me and I once again, peek through the bars. 

Hills of gold glimmer from under the sleeping woman. The jewelry Fabia was given, moves on her chest. Gold wraps around her fingers and I notice that on her left hand her ring is missing. I shake the thought from my head and unlock her chamber, with a loud clang from the lock she quickly rises. 

“You’ve done great work here, Fabia.” I announce and help her stand, brushing off the golden strands. Fabia wipes her eyes and yawns. 

“Is it enough, sire Viktor?” She mumbles and looks up at me. 

“But I know you can do more.” I whisper down at her, my crown starts to tilt forward.  
“More? But sire this could be enough to make an ocean!” Fabia gasped in shock, she raised her hand and directed my sight towards the hills of gold. 

“An ocean is too small for me,” I whispered. 

“For us.” I continued and Fabia looked up at me. My knuckles grazed her cheek and she pulled away from me. 

“One more time. And afterward, we will wed. You will be my Queen and rule over this golden land.” I said and pull her hands back towards me. Her eyes were wide and she looked down nervously. I hear footsteps from down the hall, knights taking their daily route. The door was still open and quickly I push her away. 

“The servants will be bringing you more straw. Food will be brought to you. That is all.” 

With those words, I left her chamber. The door was pushed but left ajar for the servants. I stopped at the servants quarters 

“Bring more straw to Muller’s chamber.” 

“How much sire?” 

“All of it.” 

The moon’s light shines through my open window, with a sigh I sit up from my plush bed and lift my crown off my head. I look down upon the thing that makes me higher than others. A knock at my door makes me set my crown on the bed. 

“Enter.” I announce and the door opens, a maid bows from the doorway. 

“Sire, will Miss Muller be feasting with you tonight?” She asked. 

“No, there will be no feast tonight. Instead, bring Fabia the scraps from last night.” I stood as the maid closed the door and looked down at my crown. In what felt like a second I noticed that it was starting to dull. The gems were losing their sparkle and the gold was starting to rust. Almost instantly I picked it up and put it on its pedestal. My eyes were closed tightly and I felt my way towards my large mirror. 

Once I felt the coldness of a mirror my eyes snapped open only to meet my own eyes. The crown was back to its shining state and I sighed in relief, it shined in the sun’s rays and I gasped. 

“Maid! Guard!” I panicked and fell back onto the floor. The doors were burst open and three knights rushed in. 

“My king! What happened? Where is the intruder!?” One knight yelled and another stepped in front of me. 

“There is no intruder, but the sun! When did the sunrise it was just night?” I stood from the floor and grabbed the knight. 

“My sire, it is two in the mid-day. You have been in your chambers for hours. When the servants tried to wake you, you yelled for them to leave.” The knight led me to my bed and I sighed. I grew angered from their disbelief and pushed the knight away. 

I charged out of my chamber and heads straight for Fabia’s chamber, the door was locked and in a rush, I grabbed the handle and accidentally broke it. The door broke from its hinges and fell forward, making dust cover Fabia and the gold she rested upon. 

She stood quickly and I pulled her into my chest. 

“My King!” She gasped. 

“My Queen…” I whispered and hugged her waist.

“My wife!” I cheered and picked her up entirely. 

“We are to wed!” I yelled through the halls as I ran with her in my arms.


	4. King of Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three days for the truth to come.

A year into our marriage was when Fabia was able to bear our first child, a beautiful glowing baby boy. The day of the child’s birth was a shining day, only for it to be dulled by a small goblin of a man. The man danced into our bedroom with a large smile on his hideous face. 

“Now give me what you promised.” He chuckled. 

“Please, no sir! I will give you anything else but my child!” My wife cried out to the man, clutching our child tightly into her chest. 

“No no, my deary. Something alive is dearest to me than all the treasures in the world.” The small man waved his sickly finger at us. 

Fabia cried in my arms and the newborn joined with her. The small man let out a maniacal laugh. 

“Small goblin, what is your name?” I asked, anger seething through my teeth.   
“Ah-Ah-Ah!" He tsked in my direction and continued. 

"I will give you three days. Three days is how long you have to figure out my name. Till then you may keep that little baby of yours.” The man sang a small tune and quickly disappeared before any of my knights could catch him. 

So three times we spent, sending out our men to gather names.   
The first day they returned with; Kaspar, Melchior, Balza and more. When the small man jingled his way into the castle, we read him the short list, every name that was said was pushed away. 

So once again we sent the messenger's out, they gathered such peculiar names that saying them would make you an outcast. So once again the man jingled in, humming the same tune from before, and once again did we list off more names. "Are you called Skinnyribs perhaps, or Sheepshanks, or Pegleg?" With each strange name, he shook his head. "One more day." He sang and disappeared. 

"Viktor, I am afraid that we might just never find this man's name." Fabia worried while rocking our child to sleep. Once our child was lulled to sleep, I did the same with my love. Hours afterward, the sky still dark did the messenger return with news. 

"My king." He poked his head through the doors crack and I begrudgingly left the bedroom to speak to him. He handed me a scroll and told me of what he and the knights found. 

"We came upon a high mountain round the forest corner by the back of beyond, I saw a little house, and in front of the house a fire was burning, and over the fire, the funniest little man was leaping and hopping on one leg and crying. And on that scroll is what the man said!" The messenger pointed to the scroll excitedly. I raised my brow, I'm not sure if I can trust this man. He's been in the sun for too long. But for my wife, I must. I opened the scroll and read the words out loud. 

"'Today I'll bake, tomorrow I'll brew,  
The next I'll fetch the queen's new child;  
Still no one knows it just the same,  
That Rumpelstiltskin is my name.'" 

The messenger was sent off, holding bags of gold as payment. I waited till morning to wake Fabia and tell her of the news. So when she rose with the sun, she was overjoyed by the news. 

Not long afterward, the small man came jingling in. Fabia smirked, as I handed her the scroll she gave me our small boy. She made this deal, she will end it as well. 

The man bowed towards us but fell flat on his face. Quickly he hopped up and asked, "Well? What's my name?" 

"Is your name Tom?" 

"No." 

"Is your name Dick?" 

"No."

Fadia hummed in amusement and opened the scroll. Her actions made the small man raise his bushy brow. 

"Might your name perhaps be Rumpelstiltskin?" 

"You tried my de-" With a shriek, the man fell onto the ground. Pushing himself up he scooted away. 

"The devil told you!" He repeated and started to shake in anger. He stomped his feet on the rugs, he stomped and he stomped and he stomped. Only for the stone under to cave in and swallow his waist up. 

"The devil I say!" He screeched and dug his rusted nails into the stone, tugging his body up. He tugged and pulled only for his body to give and suddenly the small man named Rumpelstiltskin was torn into two. 

Quickly I pulled Fabia into my chest, she held our child as blood splattered the precious rug. She leaned into my touch, only to gasp and grab hold of my gold necklace. 

"Viktor! Your necklace it- it isn't real gold!" She looked at my jeweled hand "Your rings too!" 

With a shake of my head, I suddenly felt flakes fall over me. I touched the crown on my head and golden flakes covered my fingers. 

"Fool's Gold" a voice mumbled weakly and I looked forward to see the torn in two-man speak. 

"You are the king….king of fools." He coughed and blood splattered. 

I took off my crown, it was crumbling in my hand. I looked around and saw my knights dissolving right before my eyes. The gold that was strung across my palace was dissolving. Only leaving behind stone and rusted metals. 

Fadia gasped again and pointed in front of us, at the torn man. Slowly his body was falling apart into gold dust. It fell into the cracks of the stone beneath him. 

The wind came through the open doors and started to sweep away what was left of my castle. I looked down at Fabia as she spoke and caressed her cheek. 

"The gold. Everything. It's all… gone." 

"But you are still here….that man was right. Something alive is worth more than any other treasures in the world." I said to her and our son grabbed my gold finger. 

And the royal family of fools gold, lived happily ever after.


End file.
